Armored shoe



` March 27,. i H I JQSEPHSON v 1,952,758

ARMORED SHOE Filed July 13,. 1932 tect the foot against injury when a heavy object Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARMORED SHOE Helmer G. Josephson, Saugus, Mass.

Application July 13, 1932, Serial No. 622,270

5 Claims.

My invention relates to leather boots and shoes and more especially to workmens boots and shoes of that class which have the toe portion of the upper reinforced and strengthened to prois accidentally dropped thereon.

Workers in foundries and many other places are often called upon to handle heavy castings, or other objects, and it often happens that a workman will drop such an object upon his foot resulting in serious injury tothe latter, particularly the toes.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved armored boot or shoe for workmen which will shield and protect the foot of the wearer so as to prevent injury thereof in the manner just referred to.

It is also an object of my 'invention to provide, as a new article of manufacture, a toeshielding box of novel and advantageous construction for incorporation within the toe portion of a workmans leather shoe.

It has heretofore been proposed to construct thetoe portion of a workmans leather shoe of the character described with a toe-shielding sheet metal box moulded so as to provide the same with a topwall portion and an integral skirt portion at the opposite sides and front of said top wall portion, said box being wholly embedded within the toe portion of the upper of the shoe and affording protection to the toes of the wearer against injury froma heavy object falling thereon. It has heretofore been necessary, however, to make this box of comparatively heavy sheet steel and to harden the same to a high degree in order to give it to the necessary strength and rigidity. As a result, when a very heavy weight or blow was imposed upon the box it would be fractured and splinters or other portions thereof would be driven into* the foot of the wearer. Moreover, owing to limitation as to the thickness of the sheet metal used in making a box of this kind, the latter was not as strong and rigid as desired.

With the obj ect of obviating these objectionable features, I have provided, as a new article of manufacture, a novel protective toe box having the peculiar features of construction set forth in the following description, the novel features of my invention being particularly pointed out and defined in the claims at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a left foot shoe, partly in section, havingthe toe portion thereof constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, full size, of the protective toe box of the shoe shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view, full` size, of the molded sheet metal member constituting part of the protective toe box shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation, full size, of thel sheet metal member shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a magnified sectional view of a portion of the toe box illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 6 illustrates a modification.

Figure 7 illustrates an alternative construction.

In Fig. l of the accompanying drawing I have shown my new protective box 10 as incorporated in a workmans shoe of the blucher type whoseupper 11 is held closed around the ankle by means of a lace 12. The box 10 is preferably placed in position between the upper leather 21 and lining 22 when these parts are assembled on the last with the innersole 24.

In the 'preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, my new protective toe box comprises a core member 13 made from sheet steel that is about one thirty-second of an inch thick. This core member is formed into the toe shape shown by means of dies after which it is hardened and tempered. When completed the core member 13 comprises a top wall portion 14 and a skirt portion 15 at the opposite sides and front thereof.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention also, the core ,member 13 is completely embedded, or inclosed, within a stiffening and reinforcing sheath which provides an outer lamination or layer 15 permanently united throughout its extent with the outer surface of core member 13 and an inner lamination or layer 16 that is `permanently united throughout its extent with the inner surface of core member 13.

As shownin Fig. 5 each layer 15 and 16 comprises a textile woven fabric 17 made from fibrous material,' as usual, and embedded within a body 18 of initially plastic or moldable material that is permanently applied to the surface of the core member 13 by means of mold members, not shown, while subjected to the influence of heat and pressure so that the body 18 is hardened and set and caused to adhere to the core member 13. I

The body 18 of originally plastic or moldable material is preferably a phenolic condensation product such as is commercially known as bakelite and each sheet of fabric 17 is impregnated with the same.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, I have shown only a single sheet of fabric 17 upon each side of the core member 13, but in practice two or more sheets may be employed on each side, if desired.

As shown in Fig. 3 the sheet metal core membe 13 may be formed with holes 19 through which the originally plastic or moldable material 18 is forced to create bonds or ties by which the two layers 15 and 16 are united, one of said bonds being shown at 20, Fig. 5.

After the layers 15 and 16 have been evened, shaped and hardened within the mold while under the iniiuence of heat and pressure, the toe box is complete and in condition for use.

A toe box constructed as above described has far greater strength and rigidity than ltoe boxes of this class as heretofore produced, and as will be clear the inner layer 16 of the metal-inclosing sheath serves very materially to protect the toes of the wearer against injury from splinters if the core member 13 is fractured.

It will therefore be clear that the inner composite layer 16 composed ofmoldable material 18 and binding fibrous material 17 which is set and hardened in position' against the inner surface of the core member 13 is an important and 4essential feature of my invention, said layer 16 serving not only to greatly strengthen, reinforce and stiifen the core member 13, but also to protect or shield the foot of the wearer from injury should the said member be splintered or broken by a weight falling thereon.

The outer layer 15 is also a desirable feature since it not only greatly reinforces and strengthens the structure as a whole, but it provides a smooth or non-abrasive and non-metallic exterior surface.

It is also a feature of this invention that the exposed surface of the inner layer 16 is smooth, non-abrasive and non-metallic so that the usual leather or fibre toe box, heretofore provided within a plain metal protective toe box, may be dispensed with.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a modification wherein the moldable material 18 is mixed with loose binding and strengthening fibres 23.

While I prefer to use a phenolic condensation product for the material 18, any other suitable material, rubber for example, may be substituted.

When rubber is used the layers 15 and 16 are shaped Within a mold and hardened and set by vulcanizing which will also vulcanize the two layers to the sheet metal core member 13.

As will be clear from Figs. 2 and 6, the two layers 15 and 16 may extend beyond the edges of the sheet metal core member 13 so as to be integrally united during the hardening, and setting operation.

Another form of my invention illustrated in Fig. '7, provides a laminated toe box structure comprising two outer layers 13a, of thin sheet steel molded to the toe shape illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 and an intermediate layer 18a of a phe nolic condensation product that is hardened and set in position between the two sheet steel layers 13a while subjected to heat and pressure.

If desired the sheet steel layers 13a may be made with small apertures that are filled as at 18h with the material of the intermediate layer 18a thereby to assist in uniting the three layers, or the intermediate layer 18a may be made from rubber and vulcanized in position between the outer layers 13a. The ordinary metal toe box heretofore provided consisting of a single piece of molded sheet metal hardened and tempered will withstand crushing pressures, gradually applied, of about three thousand pounds. other hand my new toe box will withstand pressures of about six thousand pounds and moreover when constructed with the inner fabric reinforced layer 16, it cannot be fractured so that splinters will not be driven into the foot as heretofore.

What I claim is:

1. A leather shoe of the character described including as a part of the toe thereof a laminated unitary toe box structure for shielding the foot of the wearer from injury by a heavy object dropped thereon, said unitary box structure having only a top wall portion and a skirt portion at the opposite sides and front of the said top wall portion, and its laminations comprising a molded sheet metal member and a layer of a phenolic condensation product covering and affixed to the inner surface of said sheet metal member, said layer being molded and hardened in position upon said sheet metal member by the application thereto of heat and pressure.

2. A leather shoe of the character described constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein said molded and hardened layer consists in part of binding fibres embedded within said phenolic condensation product.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated unitary toe box structure for a shoe of the character described, said unitary structure having only a top wall portion and a skirt portion at the opposite sides and front of said top wall portion and its laminations comprising a molded sheet metal core member, a layer of a phenolic condensation product covering and affixed to the outer surface of said member and a layer of a phenolic condensation product covering and aflixed to the inner surface of said member, said two layers being molded and set in position on said sheet metal member by the application of heat and pressure.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a protective unitary toe box structure constructed in accordance with claim 3 wherein a sheet of textile fabric is embedded within each of said oute layers.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary protective toe box structure for a shoe of the character described, said unit having only a top wall portion and a skirt portion at the opposite sides and front of said top wall portion and consisting of a hardened and tempered thin sheet steel core member and a molded and hardened sheath consisting of a phenolic condensation product completely inclosing and aixed to said core member.

HELMER G. JOSEPHSON.

On the. 

